St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-18
The Evidence at Saltwater
Makes 1t Look Sh aky
For Stord0ck.
His Witnesses Deserving Him
and Going Over to the
Enemy's Camp.
Unsavory Testimony by Mary
Wairshair, Cornelia Barry
and Mrs. Burner.

lie committee OF the stare DOdrQ or
corrections and charities met at the
warden's office at the Saltwater prison,
yesterday at 10 a. H., Judge II. r. Wells,
Gen. c. III. Berry and d. {. Bell and Clerk
III. III. Hail, of the board, being present.
Warden Stordock is still absent from
the city. Capt. Reed was present with
his attorney, Fayette Marsh. The state
was represented by j. n. Searles. The
ball opened with the presentation to the
board of Marsh'S charges against Warden
Stordock, but would not file them until
the arrival of Gov. McGill in the after
noon. The governor, being wired, re-
pied that he could not come over, but
Instructed the committee to hear the
charges. To this Marsh objected,
stating that he wanted the board of
prison inspectors to leave the charges
with the committee. Here the matter
rested, Marsh saying that he should not
follow up the charges before the comit-
tee alone.
The first witness called was Mary
Wairshair, who testified in defense of
Warden Reed. In April last this
woman, who had been for several years
in the employ of eX-Warden Reed in
his family, while undergoing life SEN
tence for murder, made an affidavit
charging him with having had improper
relations with her, and then, when
called before the committee at former
sitting refused to say OH oath whether it
were true or false.
ON EXAMINATION YESTERDAY SHE
SAID:
/ did not testify before because did not
dare to tell the truth. never had improper
relations with ex- Warden Reed, and he never
took improper liberties with me. 1 was
never in this 0he inspector's) room alone
with Mr.. Reed unless he sat on one side of
the table and 1 the other. have been in the
prison seven years. and have been in the
dungeon only once. l worked at Mr.. Reeds
home, and was treated as kindly by himself
and wife as though / had been their own
child. was put in the dnngeen by Mrs.
McNeal the matron, since the present war
den took charge of the prison because
would mot make q statements against Mr
Reed. was told that could not get out
until made a statement against him, which
| I finally did and got out. Mrs. McNeal asked
me II had ever had any improper relations
with Reed. answered no. She said when
got ready to be her friend. and make state
meiit against Reed, she would let me out
was fed on bread and water A day
or two after l got on my knees
and asked Mrs. McNeal to forgive me.
She said if was ready TO be her friend and
make statement against Reed and acknowl-
edge that had lied about her (Mrs. McNeaD
she would lei me out which she did War
den Stordoek also talked to me and told me
| had better make up my mind to be his
friend and not Capt. Reeds. had better do
as he said If wanted good time credited to
me. Charles Hunster Uhe negro who testi-
fed before the committee TO having seen
ex-Warden Reed in criminal act with
Azilda Beaudry through the window of the in
spectors' room) had had
IMPROPER RELATIONS WITH THE BAUDRY
WOMAN.
himself. = result A Try ha1
found herself in delicate condition. AZiIda
charged Hunster with having compelled her
to submit to him; Hunstcr wrote her letter
and gave it TO Emma Brown TO give to her,
Emma Brown and | read the letter. 1t adj.
mitted the force charged and dared AZilda to
sQueal on him. and said she must do as he
wished If she expected him to do her any
favors Hunster intimated in the letter that
he would help her (Azilda) lay the blame
for her condition upon Warden Reed.
Azlda Beaudry had performed an abortion
upon herself, so she had claimed. with
crochet hook. Azilda had told her
that Mrs. McNeal had said She must
swear against Reed. and she had replied that
she would not, for Reed had never done any,
thing wrong with her. She thought Mrs Nc
Neal would stick her in the stove, she was so
angry for what she (AZilda) said. The affi-
davit made was read tome. and when held
up my hand to be sworn, dropped il when
the man said 80 help yOn God.:' dropped
It because knew the affidavit was false; /
-.
talked with me great deal about what was
to say, and that must say il in a certain
way or my story would not hang together
and l would be caught
oROss-EYAMINED.
don't consider that am liar now; am
trying to tell the truth before my God; Capt
Reed has always been a gentleman; when
Deputy Westby told the matron TO put me in
the dungeon ii was stated that l was telling
that Mrs. McNeal was favoring the sporting
nrr1nr n.
said, Don't have any talk with her, put her
i'll the dungeon did say that Mrs. McNeal
was favorlng the sporting women; Mrs. Matt
Ryan was one so favored: she was given cas-
ler work than the rest of us who were not
sporting women; Warden Stordock said
Come. Mary, the quicker you are willing to
be my friend and not Reeds, the quicker YOU
will save your good time; this was
wrote over the statement, and 1t was printed
on typewriter. 1t was sent to me to read
l corrected only one place in it. as il was
read to me: then swore to it as l have
sworn falsely. for didn't dare to. told
some of the female convicts that had sworn
falsely. Last Thursday, after Mrs. Burner
got out of prison. told Inspectors Butts,
Hall and Norrish that the affidavit was false
The inspectors came to me and asked if l
had sent for them and what / wanted. |
told them had, and that l wanted to say
that the affidavit / had made against Reed
Il
to make it
coRNEIIA BARRY TEsTIFIEs.
The next witness called upon the
stand was a convict named Cornela
Barry, and the following testimony was
obtained:
She had been confined in the prison for
eight months and was acquainted with Mary
WairShalr and knew that She was confined in
the dungeon last April When released from
the dungeon she had told Cornelia that Mrs.
McNeal had asked her to swear against ex-
Warden Reed, and because she refused so to
do was put in the dungeon. She avowed she
never had improper relations with Warden
Reed, and 1t was pretty hard TO be compelled
to go down on her knees when
nothing of the kind had happened.
Redirect-Emma Brown had told me that
Azilda Beaudry was In delicate way. Could
not say as TO her being so. but knew she was
understanding allied her. Azilda was
complaining, and Emma Brown had asked
me what was the matter with her; told her
did not know. En- said Azilda had had a
miscarriage; was not here until Warden
Reed was out came here March IL, 1887.
Cross examination Mary Wairshair
claimed to be shut up because she said War
den Stordock favored sporting women. MARY
was In the dungeon about sixty hours.
Here Mrs. McNeal interrupted exami-
nation by stating that she kept no record
of puniShments, but simply reported
them to the warden.
Witness resumed Mary first told me she
had made written statement after she ap-
peared before this present committee after
returning from the committee. She said she
had made a written statement previous but
mad disputed the same before the committee
She said her statement was false; Mrs. Me-
Neal mace her make the statement. She